Just to add:
As somebody who has made items for the regiments and the MOD (via subcontracts etc) including plume stems, quite often you are supplied a pattern or a rough sketch/dimension and how that is made up is essentially down to the manufucturer, his experience of doing them or similar and reference to other parts or similar objects.
So what tends to happen is these things change over time in gradual steps between orders. One batch might have a slightly thinner wooden boss for the horsehair, so the base disc is moved up to compensate. This then goes into the next production, which goes back to the same original thickness boss, but that means the top of the rod becomes too short, so the whole thing is moved up. The threading and nut is based on whatever die and tap you have to hand, as it makes no difference to the part, since your supplying them as a complete unit. So BSW, BA, ME etc. Ditto the top rose. You solder a threaded tube into it and tap the stem end. If it's too short you extend the tube with a blind end.
When it's all done with the same company making the whole item, it broadly stays consistent, but where plumes and stems etc are replaced part way through service life, often it goes out locally or even unofficially. And that then becomes eventually a regimental 'tradition'. All your other existing parts look that way so you need consistency of appearance.
Hope that helps explain why changes happen without changing.
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